Families Forever
YLD, along with the S.C. Adoption Coalition for Education and Support (ACES), hosted two family fairs in 2010 in an effort to increase adoption awareness through encouragement and education of families on foster care, the adoption process, and conducting adoptions through the S.C. Department of Social Services, an adoption agency or private arrangements.
During the fairs, several 20-minute sessions were offered. Families were able to choose from a variety of workshops that provided insight on DSS adoption; home studies; international, domestic and transracial adoptions; children’s health; and financing. On February 6, nearly 200 attendees attended the fair at the YWCA in Greenville. Volunteers distributed informational packets to each family. Twenty-one vendors participated, including a travel agency that specializes in adoption. Attendees who were interested in international adoption flocked to this table for additional information.
The Charleston fair was held on February 20 at the Felix C. Davis Community Center. There were approximately 115 attendees and 20 vendors. During this event, volunteers saw an increase in interest in single parent adoption. A family from the 2009 family fair served on parent panel with their six-month-old daughter, discussing the adoption process from the standpoint of an open arrangement where the birth mother and/or birth father keep contact with the adopting family. Denise Hoppenhaur, ACES President, served on the panel to address international adoption, and an ACES volunteer discussed the adoption of an African-American child by she and her spouse, both of whom are Caucasian. YLD past president Tiffany Spann-Wilder spoke on domestic adoption from the perspective of a closed proceeding where the birth parents and adoptive parents never meet and use a third party (social worker, attorney) to move the process.
ACES provided a program at both events with the name and expertise of each pre-registered vendor and presented a schedule and location of the classes. Each family that attended received a bag filled with information about adoption, trinkets and their schedule of events.
A Chosen Child Adoption Services
A Step Ahead Adoption Services
Absolute Total Care
Adoption Advocacy
Beacon House Adoption Services
Bethany Christian Services
Carolina Adoption Services
Catholic Social Services
Certified to Complete Home Studies/inv
Child Proof Advice
Children's Unlimited/Wendy's Wonderful Kids
Christian Adoption Services, Inc.
Christian Family Services
Complete Visions & Hope for Children & Families, LLC
David M. Collins Jr.
Craver and Current, PA
FCC Upstate SC
Raymond W. Godwin, Attorney at Law, PC
Golden Rule Travel
Growing Home Southeast-Upstate
Guard A Kid of Charleston
Hicks Law Firm, LLC
Kid Builders, LLC
Lawton Law Firm, LLC
Lister Law Office
Emily S. McDaniel, Esquire
Nightlight Christian Adoptions
SC Adoption Home Studies
SC Department of Social Services
SC Heart Gallery
SC Legal Services
SCDSS Region One Adoptions
SCDSS Region III Adoptions
James Fletcher Thompson, LLC
Linda Wingard, Certified Investigator
Thanks also to the following organizations for their donations and services.
Capstone Church
Charleston Chewies
Duke Energy
Greenville Journal
MAC Advertising
Jo Prowell
Belinda Swindler of The City of North Charleston
Betsy and Walt Tanner
The YWCA of Greenville
The Well
Val Pak
Lindsey Vaughn
2010 Family Fair Photo Galleries
Coming soon!
